Vehicle-frame.



H. COOPER.

VEHICLE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

HERBERT COOPER, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Feb. 27,1912.

Application filed December 30, 1910. a Serial No. 600,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and'St-ate of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in vehicle frames, particularly to the'type of frames used in the construction of automobiles.

Heretofore, in the construction of frames for automobiles, it has been customary to employ both wood and metal. In some of the present structures, the frame is constructed entirely of metal; in others,entirely of wood; and in others, both metal and wood are employed. It has'been foundin rac- "tice that frames constructed of meta are defective-because the passage of the vehicle Ovenuneven roads tends to twist the frame out ofits' original form. This results eitherin looseriing'the rivets 'orother fastenings,

itself. Either of these results is very objectionable. Further, such twisting. often results in throwing an undue strain upon the I {driving mechanismof the vehicle. When frames of wood are employed, the same twistin tendency exists, with similar reflsults. n automobiles constructed for comthe driving 'ES we mercial purposes, it is very important that of the'fvehicle over uneven roads without straining any part of the structure.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a frame constructed partly of wood and partly of metal fastened together in such a manner as to permit the parts to have a relative movement while passing over uneven roads without straining'any of the parts.

Another object is the production of a frame of this type in which the various elements of the frame are not fastened rig idly together, but are placed in abutment only and held in this position by suitable tie rods or bolts long enough to, afford flexij f or in a permanent. buckling of the framemechanism run at its highest "bility without undue strain either to the bolts or' other elements of the frame.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in theclaims hereunto appended. I

In the accompanying drawings which form a partof this s ecification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Figure 1 is a plan In carrying the invention into effect,

there is provided a pair of sillsspaced apart by transverse beams. Lateral displacement of these beams is prevented -by' suitable means engaging the ends'of the beams and the sides of the sills, and the whole structureis held together flexibly by means engaging both sills and adapted-to hold the sills against the ends of the beams. The above elements may vary within wide limits; In the device selected to illustrate the in vention, which is merely a referred form, there is provided a pair of aminated wood sills 1. These sills are rectangular in cross section, and extcnd throughout the length of the'frar'ne, andone end of each s 'oil'sef from the opposite end.

The sills are provided with oifsetends inorder to make the forward end of the frame narrower than the rear end to permit swinging 'of the front or steering wheels not shown.

For the purpose of spacing the sills apart, transverse beams 2, 3, 4 and 5 are provided.

. These beams are of wood and vary in length,

as clearly'shown in F ig. 1. The ends of the beams 3 and engage sockets 6 of metal, which sockets are shaped to receive the ends of the beams and are provided with flanges or lips 7 projecting beyond the ends of the beams. 'The projecting flanges are arranged to engage the sills by overlying and underlying at the ends ofthe frame engage sockets -8 shapedto receive the ends of thebea ns and the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.- Sim1larly,--the endsof the beams Z'and 5' also the ends .of the side sills, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Spring supports are provided and consist in integral lugs 9 formed on the under side of the sockets 8, and to these lugs spring I links 10 and springs indicated at ll are attached in a well known manner. It will be noted that in the structure so far described, the transverse beams abut against the side sills but are not fastened thereto, the sockets 6 and 8 servingmerely to retain the ends of the beams in position, without holding 'tion is, carried into effect.

them there under strain. For the purpose of holding the frame securely but flexibly together, means are provided for engaging both sills to hold them against the ends of the beams. As shown, this means consists in a series of tie bolts or rods 12 extending across the structure in groups arranged close to the beams. The rods or tie bolts are provided with nuts 13 which with the washers l4 operate to hold the sills against the ends of the beams. The rods are long enough to take up, by their own resiliency, any torsional strain likely to be setup by the passage of the vehicle o ver uneven roads. It will be readily understood that this arrangement effectually prevents displacement of the beams, and yet permits the frame as a whole to twist or Work without throwing any undue strain upon, the various elements thereof.

.In the modified form of frame illustrated in Fig. 5,- the side sills 15 are-.of woodin one piece, and the transverse beams 16 are of equal length to maintain the sills 15 in I parallelism.

It is to be understood that the oifset sills 1 may in some constructions be of wood or metal in one piece, and that the sills 15 may be laminated or constructed of metal. In certain constructions also, the beams 2, 3, 4, 5, and 16-may be of metal; or they may be of laminated wood, if desired.

Changes'and variations may be made in the structure by means of which the inven- The invention,

therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described' What is claimed is:

1. As a new manufacture, a flexible automobile :frame having pair of longitudinal side sills, a plurality of transverse beams spacing the sills apart, a plurality of loose sockets interposed between the ends of the beams and sides ofthe sills, and a series of tie-rods engaging both sills to hold the ends of the beams in the sockets and the sockets against the sides of the sills but permitting a limited relative movement of the sills and beams.

2. As av new manufacture, a liexibleautomobile frame having a pair of longitudinal side sills lying in the same horizontal planes, a plurality of transverse beams spacing the sills apart and lying in the same planes as the sills, a plurality of loose sockets interposed between the ends of-the beams and 'the sides of the sills, and a series of tie-rods engaging both sills to hold the ends of the beams in the sockets and the sockets against the sides of the sills but permitting a limited relative movement of the sills and beams.

3. As a new manufacture, a' flexible automobile frame having a pair of longitudinal side sills, a plurality of transverse'beams spacing the sills apart, a plurality of'loose sockets interposed between the ends of the beams and the sides of'th'e' sills, apart of 7 said sockets having lugs adapted to support springs, and a series of tie-rods engagingboth sills to hold the ends of the beams in the sockets and the sockets against the sides of the sills but permitting a limited relative movement of the beams and sills.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT COOPER. IVitnesses FRANK H. VICK, Jr., C. E. MARTIN. 

